NaNotics to Collaborate with Mass General Cancer Center (MGCC) on Novel Nanomedicine for Treating Cancer

The goal is first-in-human use of NaNots™, injectable absorptive nanoparticles that treat cancer via clearance of tumor-generated immune inhibitors from blood.

Excerpt from the Press Release:

MILL VALLEY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–NaNotics LLC, a biopharmaceutical company developing NaNots™, novel subtractive nanoparticles that treat disease by capturing and clearing pathogenic molecules from blood, today announced a research collaboration with Mass General Cancer Center, a program of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, to develop NaNots that target the soluble forms of Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptors, which are tumor-generated immune inhibitors, with the goal of initiating human trials by mid-2024.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is an essential immune signaling molecule which, as the name implies, is toxic to cancer and other abnormal cells. Immune cells kill bad cells by delivering TNF-α to TNF receptors on the target cell membrane, inducing apoptosis (cell death). However, most if not all malignant tumors inhibit TNF-α by cleaving off the extracellular domains of their TNF receptors, producing a soluble receptor form called “sTNF-Rs”. sTNF-Rs neutralize TNF-α molecules secreted by immune cells, preventing them from inducing apoptosis in cancer cells, thereby enabling immune evasion. This bioanimation by the Company illustrates the process.

sTNF-Rs have been undruggable targets. Functional membrane TNF receptors (mTNF-Rs) are essential for a broad range of normal immune functions. A drug that neutralizes sTNF-Rs would also block mTNF-Rs, given that the binding sites of both forms are identical. Instead, NaNots deplete soluble targets – in this case sTNF-Rs – without blocking membrane forms of the same target – in this case mTNF-Rs. NaNots represent a novel form of immunotherapy, targeting an important new immunosuppressive pathway. NaNots have been tested for safety in rodents at up to 100x the planned human dose, with no observed toxicity.

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